Excerpts from "California's Next Century 2.0

"Further proof – the Federal government has publicly stated that it is “overwhelmed” with the demands of providing services for California. In 2008, years after the Katrina disaster, FEMA, announced that it would not be able to handle a major disaster, the likes of which California routinely faces, such as earthquakes or wildfires. (“Report: Major disaster would 'overwhelm' aid groups” CNN 2008). That same year, the Federal government admitted that it was “overwhelmed” by the number of Federal appeals cases in California ("Federal appeals court to seek five more judges in overwhelmed California district", How Appealing, 2008). Perhaps most important is the fact that the Federal government has admitted that California’s economy is too large for the Federal government to provide the role that all national governments provide to their states, that as the financial backer and lender of last resort. During the 2008 recession, California asked for a federal bailout. Experts admitted that California should receive the bailout because its economic down slide would greatly hurt Americas economic recovery, but the secret came out, California is too big financially for the Federal government to bailout, ever, even if the Federal government wanted to, its’ not large enough to support the sub-economy of California (“Is California Too Big To Fail?” by Declan McCullagh2009, CBS News), (“Why Obama Has to Bail Out California, But Won't” by Ron Elving, 2009, NPR)."

"Furthermore, America will not be shocked at all by the idea of a separate California – it has always thought California as different from the rest of the country and it has heard this stated publicly by government officials for decades. In 1860, President Lincoln heard that the Californians thought of themselves as different from Americans and maybe just years after joining the union should leave it, and he rushed to build the trans-continental railroad to connect California better, to avoid a secession war on two fronts. “For the first twenty years of statehood – Californians never thought of themselves as Americans but as a separate culture. The largest proof of the strength of the culture was the speed of which “Okies” were Californianized in short time. “The “past” means to the Californians not the Pilgrim fathers, or William Penn and the Indians, or George Washington crossing the Delaware. . . the historically minded Californian of today is orientated with reference to a set of meanings and significances quite unlike those by which the historically minded in other areas, even in the West, guide their research and historical explorations." The governor of California, who almost ran for the president of America, stated in the 1960s, “As former Governor Edmund “Pat” Brown once wrote, “California is part and apart from the larger American society. It is both representative and unique."

About "California's Next Century 2.0"

In the 21st Century, our country is in peril. California can save it. The world needs a new leader. And Californians are perfect for the job.

In “California’s Next Century” (ISBN 1475186029), Marcus Ruiz Evans offers a radical proposal for remaking California. For more than a century, California has been a trailblazer for America and the world alike. Its innovative residents have pushed forth cutting-edge developments in commerce, technology, art and lifestyle design. As an overhaul, Evans suggests that California embrace its unique global role and form itself as an independent republic, through the mechanism of Sub National Sovereignty which retains a strong connection to the original host country, uniquely poised to become the Switzerland of the 21st century, a global nerve center of international diplomacy, technology and finance.

About Marcus Ruiz Evans

Marcus Ruiz Evans has lived in California his whole life, from the Central Valley and the Inland Empire, to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Having worked in the trade of global goods and served in government, he has seen through both his travels and career how other cultures value California’s distinct qualities. Of mixed Latino, Anglo and Native American heritage, Evans has experienced the state’s diversity in his own life, even pledging an Asian fraternity while attending a University of California school.

Marcus worked as a liaison between the State of California government and the Federal government for more than 10 years, forcing him to develop a personal understanding of this federal and state relationship. During this time, he also had the opportunity to work on Goods Movement efficiency studies, looking at how the international freight system operates and especially California's role in the world economy. He has traveled to Europe, Canada, and Mexico, observing firsthand their domestic infrastructure and connection to the Global economy. In addition, he traveled to many states in America, comparing views on international trade, but with a California perspective. Evans lived throughout California, including Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and the Central Valley.

Reviews

"[Marcus Ruiz Evans] does provide solid evidence for California's independence, and he effectively argues that independence would be good for California, America, and the world as a whole... California's Next Century has provided me with lots of food for thought..."

Sponsored Review, San Francisco Book Review (p. 112, Sept. 2012)

"This serious scholarly analysis explores the unique diversity of California culture and shows how the state could transition to an independent republic in a practical arrangement that would still heavily favor the United States and benefit residents of California."